The NFL trade deadline is less than a month away, and the Green Bay Packers only have four games left until the deadline hits on Nov. 4. While going up against the Bengals, Cardinals, Steelers, and the Panthers gives them a great chance to take over as the top seed of the NFC North, the Packers have to balance out the roster to maximize their chances of Super Bowl contention. Considering the embarrassment of riches Green Bay has in its crowded wide receiver room, the most likely trade will likely come on that front.
This is a familiar place Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst finds himself in. As talented as the pass-catching core of the team is, the Packers have lacked a true WR1 during the Jordan Love era. Both Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have denied the need for an elite WR1 to be an elite offense. That may be true, but having five or six starting-caliber receivers while having more pressing needs elsewhere on the roster is not an ideal situation, either.
Dontayvion Wicks May Be the Most Likely Packer to Be Traded
That is why we can assume that Dontayvion Wicks may be the most likely Packer to be moved at the November 4 trade deadline.
Jayden Reed and Christian Watson will return from their respective injuries in the upcoming weeks. Rookie Savion Williams will likely continue to be slowly integrated into the passing game. Romeo Doubs become a featured target for Love through four weeks, and Matthew Golden has been increasing his snap count and offensive involvement every week. This will eventually lead to having too many mouths to feed. When that happens, Wicks will unfortunately be the odd man out.
Wicks will need a new contract upon hitting free agency after the 2026 season. Instead of having to pay him a multi-year deal to be their WR5, the Packers would be wise to move him while trade value is still high. Leaving the decision to the offseason will only tank Wicks' trade value after he gets demoted to a small role upon Reed and Watson's returns.
The Packers are about to face salary cap challenges in the offseason. They have too many stars on big-money deals, so the allocation of resources will be key, especially after they presumably give Doubs an extension.
Green Bay's desire to keep the players that they have drafted and developed is certainly understandable. Late-round picks like Wicks, who has been a solid, cheap contributor for the team for a long time, can be difficult to part ways with. What differentiates great teams from good ones, however, is knowing when to move on from their own players. Wicks has valuable versatility but lacks the upside to be a must-keep for the Packers. Gutekunst would be wise to cash in and get draft capital in return.